1962 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Bubble Top Up For Grabs At Barrett-Jackson

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It can be hard to separate objectivity and subjectivity when determining whether something is a fact or an opinion, but we’d like think that we usually have a pretty good handle on this. We respect the fact that everyone has their own opinion, and that it’s impossible for everyone to agree on everything all the time. There is the rare occasion, however, where we chuck all the rules out the window and say something like: this car is truly remarkable and if you don’t agree you’re insane. In the case of this 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Bubble Top, this is entirely factual.

You’re probably wondering why we’re calling it a Bel Air when it has the face of an Impala, well the truth is that this car started out as the bare shell of a 1962 Chevy. The owner wanted to maintain the charm of the bubble top, and Andy Leach, the builder of the car, explains that he and his team essentially put the body on a frame table with the Art Morrison chassis underneath it and built the car around the tire sizes.

Leach’s work was voted the winner of the 2015 Barrett-Jackson Cup competition last August by judges Pete Chapouris, Bob Millard and Bobby Alloway, taking top honors in the best-of-the-best custom car competition. The timeless rendition executes the perfect styling cues, but it isn’t just a showstopper. Powered by an LS9, this mean machine wields a mighty 638 horsepower which is transmitted by a Bowler Performance 6-speed manual transmission – complete with double-overdrive for the ultimate in highway cruise efficiency. What’s more impressive is that even the powertrain looks impeccable – the shaved engine bay looks as good as the rest of the car.

So what’s all the fuss if this car was last year’s victor? Well, it’s going to be up for grabs at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction this week, and get this, with no reserve. Now if we can just find a way to prevent everyone else from bidding…